HDN: Cleanbox
by Symantra
Summary: Noire is looking for a friend to pass the time with, but Vert is a bit of a freak...


Noire hesitated in front of the entrance to the Leanbox Basilicom, her hand one inch away from the door. Of all the times she could have visited Vert, now was probably one of the strangest. She typically constrained her international excursions to daylight hours, and she usually notified the resident CPU ahead of time. It was unheard of for the CPU of Lastation to appear in Leanbox after midnight, and it was indeed very strange.

However, the goddess dismissed the thought and rapped her knuckle on the door. She had come too far to back down now. In fact, she was almost looking forward to sitting down for a fun, night-long session of gaming and gossiping and maybe even drinking with her blonde friend. Out of the four goddesses, Vert knew best how to have a good time, even if her interests didn't always translate well to the others. But Noire was in the mood to wind down with someone who shared not just one but many of her interests.

Despite their citizens' belief that Leanbox and Lastation were bitter rivals, Noire and Vert were de facto very good friends. The similarity between their nations and consoles most likely incensed a sense of jingoism among their respective supporters. A multitude of forums bickered back and forth over the validity of the latest generation of consoles and games, which was something that amused the CPUs greatly.

Even during this time of should-be celebration, Noire herself was the only person she knew who wasn't occupied at the moment. How ironic that she was one of the hardest workers in Gamindustri, yet when the time came to relax, everyone else was busy.

"It's almost like there's a conspiracy against me!" she muttered to herself as she knocked again.

Currently, her options were sorely limited. Neptune and Nepgear were under house arrest, and their Oracle had issued a morbid warning not to seek out the Planeptune sisters until the sentence was lifted. Blanc and the twins had spent the whole day together and were almost certainly asleep by now. Disturbing them would be a fatal mistake. Uni was also resting, and she would think critically of her elder sister for waking her without a serious reason.

Only Vert was sure to be available at this time of night. The CPU of Leanbox was sometimes so immersed in her doings that she was oblivious to anything outside the realm of her headset and monitor.

Shivering, Noire backhanded the door. Being a Lastation native, she found the land of green pastures to be rather windy.

It was a quarter after one, and she was a little drunk, but she needed company now. She could always party on her own, but that part of party she didn't understand. Partying alone didn't have the same feel as partying _not_ alone. She liked spending time with other people. She loved spending time with other people. She lived to spend time with other people!

The CPU laughed and slumped against the wall. Maybe she was more than a "little drunk", she admitted, but that wasn't totally her fault. What else was she supposed to do when she was the only soul in the Basilicom after the sun set? Even if all the CPUs had gathered to throw a party, there would have been some alcohol anyways. Even a goddess could afford to get a little inebriated from time to time. Who could blame her?

She was about to knock for the fourth time when the door swung inward, causing her to yelp with surprise. A decadent voice brought her troubled mind back to reality.

"Noire? Heavens, how long have you been out here? You're shuddering!" Vert squinted, peering closely at her friend. "What are you even doing here at this hour? And in nightclothes, no less."

Was that a normal greeting? Noire was too slow to think of a good response.

"Uhh... H-hi, Vert." Her voice cracked, but she covered it up with a laugh and a smile. "I was, erm, visiting."

The blonde frowned and bit her lip, her shoulders lowering slightly. She opened the door wider then grabbed Noire by the wrist and pulled her inside.

"Goodness me, Noire, you're in a sorry state," she sighed after the door was closed. "Have you been drinking, by any chance?"

"N-no, just a little bit!"

"Huh. That answers my question. Please remove your sh..." Vert faltered as Noire stepped off the entrance rug still wearing her boots. "Oh whatever. Keep them if you're more comfortable that way. Let's just get you settled in, shall we? Ha ha..."

* * *

Vert led her guest through the hallways of the inner Basilicom. The goddess winced every step of the way, as if she and her visitor were intruding on sacred ground. Stopping to open an ornate dark-wood door lined with emerald green, she gave Noire a gentle push into the room.

Green, gold, and cluttered with junk and opulent decor, Vert's bedroom was well lit and somehow still navigable. Noire turned to look at Vert, slightly confused in her new environment.

"Where are you going?" she asked, apprehensive.

"Please give me a few minutes. I need to take care of some business before I am able to join you," the goddess of Leanbox apologized. Dumbfounded, Noire gaped at her.

Vert ignored her and continued. "There is a refrigerator in the corner if you are thirsty, but I will be back with refreshments... Actually, just wait for me. If you were to find my cache of root b—"

She broke off and looked at Noire. The raven-haired CPU was trembling, her lips moving wordlessly and her eyes fixed upon Vert.

"N-nevermind," the blonde gulped. "I... I won't be long. Please make yourself at home."

Closing the door gently, Vert stepped backward before turning down the hallway.

"Good heavens," she sighed and put a finger to the side of her head. "What a difficult situation. Noire is in my room, intoxicated, and I have to take care of her. Yet a whole raid group of twenty-seven professional players awaits the return of their strongest defensive front-liner..."

The goddess mused to herself as she walked to her computer room. She could not disgrace herself by going "AFK" for too long within an end-game dungeon, for she was one of most reputable players in Four Goddesses Online. For she had avowed to be leader of the first group to clear the latest and most difficult challenge of the 17th content patch.

"Imagine the shame it would bring my entire guild if I, the leader, were to be idle disconnected before the last boss!" she giggled. "I would have to disembowel myself before that happened."

As she turned the corner, she nearly collided with Chika, who had come around the opposite corner with a two-foot stack of paper in her arms.

"Oh, Vert!" the Oracle squealed, her focused expression vanishing when she saw her pseudo-sibling. "I was just doing some paperwork for you, dear."

"At one in the morning?" Vert chimed with a keen raised brow. "Get some rest, Chika. You work too hard for my sake, when all I do is play games."

"Nonsense! A CPU must have her leisure time! As an Oracle, I'm devoted to my work and your wellbeing. If I could do your entire job for you, then so be—"

Chika hesitated and stared down the hallway Vert had come from. Her eyes widened, and she shot Vert with an inquisitive frown.

"Is that Lady Noire? Why is she following you?" she asked, tilting her head down the hall.

"What?" Vert lifted her other eyebrow and looked around the corner. Sure enough, Noire was hurriedly making her way in their direction. "Oh my, she really is. You see, she sort of just turned up on our doorstep a few minutes ago. I couldn't just turn her away, because she's a little intoxicated right now. I was going to tend to her later, but it is of the utmost salience that I complete my..."

Vert went quiet as Noire came within range. The twin-tailed goddess seemed surprised to see Chika, and her attention flitted between the Oracle and the CPU.

"S-sorry. It was just so quiet that I..." she mumbled, looking down. Bashful, she fingered her hair and refused to make eye contact with either girl.

Chika stared at her for a few seconds before turning furtively to Vert. "Sister! Let me entertain her while you take care of business," she whispered. "Be swift like the wind!"

Without awaiting confirmation, the green-haired girl kept walking and stopped beside Noire. "Oh, Lady Noire!" she beamed. "It's so nice to see you! Here, come with me for a second. Vert needs time to prepare... uh, tea for two! In the meantime, I wanted to talk to you about something..."

Making idle chitchat, Chika somehow shifted her immense pile of papers to one hand so she could take Noire by the arm. Though reluctant at first, the CPU warmed up quickly to her new friend and started talking animatedly.

Vert marveled as her secretary practically took the dimwitted CPU into the palm of her hand. Despite being immature at times, the Oracle was quite adept in dealing with the drunk. Her silver tongue was ineffective on her idol, but her honeyed words could make people feel a lot warmer and a lot happier.

As Chika guided Noire back to the bedroom, Vert let her legs carry her to the place she was most familiar with. Near the end of the hallway, through a darkened doorway, her computer screen gave off a pale glow.

Leaving the door wide open, the goddess slid into her seat and removed a headset hanging on the monitor.

"I'm back," she announced. "Pardon me, it's a busy night. A friend just dropped by. Are we all ready?"

 _"Welcome back,"_ buzzed a terse, feminine voice. _"Six seven on standby. A cleric in my squad 's taking a bathroom break. Let's wait for him."_

"The one who ran to revive you during the previous battle," Vert made note of with a smug grin. "You're slipping. You should never take a direct hit, and keeping the aggro should only make your job easier."

 _"Golems are too predictable,"_ her ally retorted. _"You may not have noticed it behind your iron wall, Lady Vert—or shall I say, '_ **† _Green Heart_ †**'— _but that one had a larger AoE than usual."_

"Take care, CC2," Vert chuckled. "Our alliance is convivial, but this dungeon raid is composed equally of members from your guild as well as mine. You would not do well to show weakness if GFF wants to stand equally with us. Don't let me down."

 _"I think you're just messing with me. Let's finish this up so we can claim our rewards!"_

* * *

To commemorate the first-ever clear of the 17th legendary dungeon, two of three possible legendary gears had been guaranteed to drop from the end boss: _Arot's eye_ , a dark-magic-resistant charm, and the _Conflagrator_ —a cursed warhammer that could erupt into flames at the wielder's will. According to tradition, the two guilds that made up the raiding party would claim one item. There was little need for negotiation, as both leaders swiftly settled their preferences. Vert's guild kept the eye. The hammer was entrusted to CC2, who immediately gave it to the cleric who had saved her life earlier.

Vert hummed coyly to herself as she closed the door to her lair. "Little do they know, the eye is the superior of the two. Its effects can be transferred to nearby team mates with any friendly spell. And what does their hammer do? It sets things on fire! What absolute, frightening power, heh heh."

Now with no other preoccupations, Vert went back to receive her unexpected guest. But she found something new to worry about on the way there. Upon turning the corner, she noticed a scintilla of dirt on the green, gold-patterned carpet of the hallway.

It was strange that something so unimportant catch her eye. However, she cast her gaze downward for the remainder of her walk. The goddess' keen eye picked out every spot of dust.

"Someone's right footprint," she muttered, walking swifter.

The CPU of Leanbox stopped in front of the door to her room and laid a hand on the timber. Gently pushing it open, she closed one hand in front of her lap and covered it with the other. It was time to greet her guest properly.

"... And Neptune I can understand, but Blanc?" Noire's voice was apparent as soon as Vert entered. "It's no wonder that the line between Planeptune and Lowee is so blurry!"

Two figures were seated on the edge of Vert's bed. Leaning against the wall with her legs crossed, Noire was jabbering haughtily about something or other. Chika sat a good half a meter away with a permanent smile, repeatedly hooking and unhooking her ankles. They continued, unaware of the goddess and her unobtrusive entrance.

"It wasn't until the twins started playing that space-mice-cat-rocket game that Blanc started being nice to Neptune," huffed the goddess, glaring at the darkened window to her right. "I bet she dragged Neptune into collaborating on that 'Player 1 & Hedgehog' sports game! Can you believe it actually turned into a real franchise? They seriously announced a fifth one, a friggin' fifth one!"

As Vert drew nearer, Chika twitched and tore her eyes away from the raving CPU. Her detection was reflexive, not out of a sixth sense but to five senses honed for the adulation of her goddess.

"Vert!" the Oracle whispered, still smiling. "My face hurts and I'll be nodding for days. Please, please, help me!"

Suppressing a laugh, Vert motioned for her to get up. The Oracle skittered away and stood in the middle of the room. Vert took her place and noted happily that the table at the foot of her bed was set with refreshments.

"And don't get me started about Mega Crash Bros! Blanc used her characters, Neptune's characters, a bunch of third-party freelance characters, but nobody from Lastation! Or Leanbox, for that matter."

"My, that is brash," the blonde said while she poured herself a glass of iced tea. "But our nations are renowned for the quality of our consoles, not our first-party franchises. I say we stand on much higher ground. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Exactly!" Noire exclaimed and whipped around to face her interlocutor. Her next words died on her lips, and her mouth hung open when she saw that she was speaking not to the Oracle but to the CPU. "Uh, huh? Vert?"

Noire's eyes scanned the room and landed on Chika, who was making her escape. Before she could say anything, Vert hemmed and reclaimed her attention.

"What has you so worked up, Noire?" Vert cooed and comfortingly rested a hand on Noire's knee. Gently, she pulled the CPU's leg down to the ground, into a normal sitting position.

"Just, nothing." The goddess calmed down, and her voice quieted. "Neptune and Blanc are just being too buddy-buddy for their own good. They're probably plottin' something."

Noire pulled her legs up onto the bed and hugged her knees to her chest. Vert gave her a nervous glance. Her eyes moved downward along the N-shape of the girl's body and alighted on the black boots resting on the bedsheets.

"Noire," she gulped. "You're... Why did you come to my Basilicom in your sleepwear?"

"Why would I..." The CPU trailed off when she looked down at herself. "Huh. Why did I?"

"Go home," Vert sighed. "You're drunk. Just get your boo—Just get some rest, Noire. You'll feel better in the morning."

The CPU of Lastation pulled her knees in tighter. "But I don't want to," she complained childishly. "It's... I'm... I'll be lonely! I said it, okay?"

At those words, Vert tensed up. "Ah... Uni, or Kei, could keep you company."

Noire hid her reddening face in her knees. "Could! Uni's sleeping and I don't want to wake her up, and Kei left. Don't you remember? She made a big deal out of it and told everyone about her new entrepre-Noire-ship or whatever. She just didn't like being my Oracle; I can see right through her!"

Vert didn't respond immediately. Her attention fixed on Noire, she stilled her breathing with a slow exhale. "So, you came to Leanbox with the intention of... staying the night. I see."

Conflicted, she averted her eyes to avoid Noire's pleading stare. It was a momentous event for the goddess of Lastation to speak honestly about her feelings—surely an effect of her current intoxication. Vert could hardly refuse the CPU's desperate request for companionship, yet her mind started to race at the idea of their little sleepover.

"Are... Are you sure?" she asked, hoping Noire would change her mind. "My bedroom is actually not a good place. There's a draft—"

"I'm sure!" the goddess interrupted. "Please! It's New Year's Eve, let's have some fun! We can play games and other stuff. You and me, it'll be great! Night of our lives, right?"

"Noire..." Vert faltered, knowing her fate was sealed. She sighed and conceded. "Okay. But first, you need to change. I won't have you sleeping in your clothes... I mean, in those clothes! H-here, just... come with me."

It was to be an interesting night.

* * *

Chika nudged the door to the goddess' room with her foot. Holding a serving tray in her hands, she used her back to push open the door.

"Good morning, Sister dearest! Look, I made breakfast for..." Chika turned around with a sweet smile, but she trailed off at the sight of the CPU. Vert was standing in the middle of her room with a vacuum, moving it methodically over the carpet.

"Lady Vert, what are you up to?" the Oracle asked as she set the tray down on the closest table. "Didn't I tell you that I would manage all the cleaning?"

Vert replied without looking up. "Yes, and I am sorry, but I simply could not control myself!" She shook her head and grumbled. "Heavens, I didn't sleep an ounce last night. The bed and the carpet are both dirty, and she walked through half the Basilicom with her shoes on... paced all about my room, put her feet up on the bed... I also need to wash the clothes I loaned her, whenever she returns those!"

Chika stood in the entryway with a confused expression. The Oracle could only watch with curious fascination as her goddess scoured the room with a vacuum and wet sweeper. Since when had the CPU been such a neat freak?


End file.
